


manifest destiny

by Pomfry



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Affectionate Insults, Certainly not Koyuki and Ryuusei, Domestic Fluff, First Kiss, Flirting, Getting Together, Is Mahiru in a gang?, Lots of blushing, M/M, Mahiru causes a lot of stress, Misunderstandings, Poor Ryuusei, Teenage Dorks, Two Idiot Boys Figuring Things Out, who knows - Freeform, worried friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 21:39:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14777705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pomfry/pseuds/Pomfry
Summary: “What do you want for breakfast?” he calls, getting out of bed and shuffling across the floor. Mahiru has gotten into the habit of keeping out any sunlight out of the house in the mornings, which is useful for when Kuro actually does something instead of turning into a cat and laying down.“Whatever you want!” Mahiru replies, his voice muffled by the door. “Just hurry. We need to go farther for the new school.”“Oh yeah,” Kuro yawns, closing his eyes and stretching his arms above his head. “Tsubaki blew the last one up, huh.”Mahiru opens the door, sticking his head out. “Yes, he did. So now we have a different school, made the exact same way because C3 is meticulous.”Kuro sighs at him. “Okay, okay. You’ll come out to a good breakfast, I promise.”Mahiru’s expression turns soft. “I know."





	manifest destiny

**Author's Note:**

> A BIG thanks to my friend for looking this over for mistakes. The much improved version is what you see here because they found most, if not all the mistakes. Love you! :D
> 
> Once again, this is because of my discord friends. We discussed this, and although it went in a way different direction, I think it turned out well!
> 
> It was supposed to be about like 3k at the most. 7k later....
> 
> Haha, I have no self control.
> 
> Alos - help, I've fallen for Koyuki/Ryuusei and I can't get up.

_Summer break is over,_ Mahiru thinks drowsily, staring at the wall. Kuro’s arms tighten around him, a purr rumbling in his chest, and thus Mahiru’s ear. _And I need to get up for school._

“Kuro,” he mumbles, turning over and burying his face in Kuro’s chest. “I need to get up for school.”  
  
“No,” Kuro says without opening his eyes. “We deserve a break. No school.”  
  
“I can’t deny that we deserve a break,” Mahiru laughs, eyes fluttering shut. “But missing the first day of school would be bad luck, right?” Kuro shrug the best he can with laying down, resting his chin on Mahiru’s head.

“Like luck has to do with any part of school,” he says stubbornly. “Luck has to do with you finding me.”  
  
“Arrogant cat.” Mahiru leans back, reluctantly sitting up and stretching his arms above his head. “I need to go to school.”

“Mahiru,” Kuro says impatiently, eyeing him with a kind of disgruntled irritation only a cat could summon, “why did you move?”

Mahiru huffs. “So I could get ready for school.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Yes.”

“No,” Kuro repeats. “This is not something that is happening.”  
  
Mahiru snorts, shoving himself to his feet. “Yes, it is. Get used to it, you lazy cat.” At Kuro’s whine as he snatches Mahiru’s sweatpants, he laughs. “Kuro, I can’t miss the first day of school.”  
  
“You can,” Kuro replies, stubborn, because of course he is. “It’s called staying in bed.”

“If I stayed in bed all day I wouldn’t get anything done,” Mahiru counters, grabbing his uniform and heading to the bathroom. “Besides, I would get restless.” He tosses a cheeky grin over his shoulder. “And you don’t like it when I’m restless.”

Kuro groans at the thought. When Mahiru gets restless, he cleans like a madman or does something productive. Kuro is dragged along and put to work and he _hates_ it. Mahiru laughs, long and loud, and shuts the door behind him. Kuro sticks his tongue out at him because he’s childish.

“What do you want for breakfast?” he calls, getting out of bed and shuffling across the floor. Mahiru has gotten into the habit of keeping out any sunlight out of the house in the mornings, which is useful for when Kuro actually does something instead of turning into a cat and laying down.

“Whatever you want!” Mahiru replies, his voice muffled by the door. “Just hurry. We need to go farther for the new school.”

“Oh yeah,” Kuro yawns, closing his eyes and stretching his arms above his head. “Tsubaki blew the last one up, huh.”

Mahiru opens the door, sticking his head out. “Yes, he did. So now we have a different school, made the exact same way because C3 is meticulous.”

Kuro sighs at him. “Okay, okay. You’ll come out to a good breakfast, I promise.”

Mahiru’s expression turns soft. “I know,” he says, and Kuro ignores the well of _feelings_ in his chest in favor of going into the kitchen and opening the cabinets, looking for ingredients. An American breakfast, he decides, is the way to go, and grabs the flour.

Mahiru loves waffles - he says that they’re the best thing that has come out of America in years, and Kuro has to agree. At least for breakfast. He figures that waffles with strawberries inside would be a good first meal for the beginning of the school year, and grabs the strawberries from the fridge.

Mahiru comes in just as he’s pouring some batter into the waffle iron, and sits down, crossing his arms on the table and leaning down until his chin rests on his forearm. “Waffles?” he asks rhetorically.

“Yep.” Kuro sets the bowl aside as he puts the top of the iron down. “Want the leftover strawberries?”

Mahiru perks up, grinning. “Yes!” Kuro smiles on the inside, putting the cutting board on the table. Mahiru grabs one immediately, offering him it with a cheerful, “Want one?” as the iron dings.

Kuro nods, plucking it from his eve’s fingers and chewing on it as he open the iron, carefully picking the waffles up and setting them on a plate. He pours batter into the iron again, closes the lid, and gives Mahiru the plate. Mahiru takes it with a hum, hand already drifting back towards the strawberries, and Kuro opens the fridge door to get milk and some toppings. The ice cream in the freezer sounds tempting, but Kuro doesn’t want to deal with Mahiru’s disappointed face, so he leaves it be.

Mahiru is waiting patiently, one hand fixing his shoelaces and the other snagging another strawberry piece. “Hey, hey,” Kuro starts, setting the syrup and bananas down on the table. “Save some room for the waffles.”

Mahiru makes a face at him, but stops eating the berries. Kuro gives his eve an exhausted glance as he turns around, the iron dinging again as he does. He opens the lid, sticks a fork vindictively into his waffles, and puts them on his plate. Mahiru is yawning, ruffling his hair as he sits down, and they both clap their hands together at the same time, synchronization born from months of eating together, and Mahiru picks up his fork, cutting into his waffle.

Kuro snorts quietly, slicing the banana up and drizzling the chocolate syrup over his food. “You and your simplicity,” he can’t help but tease, and Mahiru wrinkles his nose in response.

“Your waffles are really good plain,” he defends, and take a bite defiantly. “It’s you who’s ruining them.”

Kuro raises an eyebrow. “Oh?” He scoops up some on his fork. “Say ah.”

Mahiru rolls his eyes but obliges. Kuro pushes the fork in and as Mahiru chews on it, thoughtful, Kuro sits back and watches.

“Okay,” Mahiru concedes after a moment. “That was good. But I prefer them plain.”

There’s chocolate syrup on his lips. Kuro leans in and kisses it away, Mahiru turning red. Kuro laughs at his attempt of swatting him, taking a smug bite of his waffle.

Mahiru groans at him, at his smirk and pride at making his face heat up and his general _everything,_ and takes a grumpy bite of his waffle. Kuro smirks at him, checks the time, and says, “It’s almost the time you leave for school.”

Mahiru blanches, shoves the last bit of his food inside his mouth, grabs his bag and Kuro by the wrist, and runs out the door. Kuro sighs as he poofs into a cat.

“We’re going to be late!” Mahiru shouts, and Kuro only grimaces. He may love his eve, but god does he hate it when he’s freaking out. It’s annoying and panic inducing, and Kuro really despises it.

“We will be _fine,”_ Kuro insists, and Mahiru huffs like a bull as he gets on the train. “Seriously, you won’t be late. I’ll _carry_ you if you almost will.”

Mahiru spares him a look, slumping over and scratching the area behind his ears. “I know,” he says, rubbing at his forehead. “I know. It’s just - this is the first time I’m seeing Ryuusei and Koyuki In weeks, and I don’t want to make the wrong impression that I changed too much.”

“You have, though,” Kuro points out. “You've changed a lot. But you’re still the same person. You don’t have any need to worry.”

Mahiru laughs, a little rough. “Kuro, I just -”

“But nothing,” Kuro says, rubbing his nose against his eve’s arm. “Mahiru, you’re still the same incredibly kind and caring person you were when you first picked me up. You’re just...less naive. You know more than you did. You haven’t changed far too much.”

Mahiru smiles at him, as beautiful as the sun, and laughs. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You still trust too easy,” Kuro says, giving a cat’s version of a smirk. “And you still like simple things.”

“Oh, I know, I know,” Mahiru chuckles, putting a finger over Kuro’s lips. “Now, shush. People are getting on the train.”

Kuro curls up into a ball on his eve’s lap, and drifts off to sleep.

He really does like this life that he has. He adores it, even, and he loves Mahiru with an intensity that grew over time, smolders in his chest constantly. He loves Mahiru with everything he has, and then some.

He wouldn’t change a thing about his life, to be perfectly honest. He thinks that Mahiru is the same way.

 

\--

 

Ryuusei goes to his new-old school with the same dread every teenager has in the pit of his stomach. There’s no nicks, no stains in the places that there should be, but it has the same layout, thankfully. But - at least he has class with Mahiru and Koyuki. He scratches the scar on his neck, a little irritated. Ever since the car accident - and he sometimes thinks that he wasn’t in a car accident, because sometimes he remembers a man with pink hair and a agonizing pain with his friends’ screams echoing in his ears as he falls - he finds that it _itches._ Maybe it’s just his imagination, but Ryuusei thinks that something is going to happen today. Something big.

Koyuki walks up to him, brown hair coming down in waves around his ears and a gentle smile on his face as he adjusts his grip on his bag. “Ryuu-chan,” he says, and it’s teasing as it’s always been. “Have you seen Mahiru?” There’s a hint of worry in his voice, a whisper of concern. Their old school had been blown to bits, it was discovered a bomb had been at their school festival, and a building was destroyed.

Throughout it all, Ryuusei and Koyuki had stuck together, terrified for themselves and Mahiru, who never answered his phone.  
  
Ryuusei shakes his head, frowning a bit. “Not really. I haven’t seen him since a week after summer break started. Weird, right? Normally he’d be over at our houses.”

Mahiru hates being alone, is the thing. He hates it more than he than he hates rainy days and people who don’t do anything. He hates it with a passion, and has always been at one of their houses.

Not once in this entire summer, has he showed up at their door, offering food with a sheepish smile and requesting to stay the night.  
  
Koyuki hums, his sweater a little too large as he likes it. “It is strange,” he agrees. “I saw you a few days ago and when I texted or called him, he never picked up. During the whole...thing, you know he never did. It scares me.”

Ryuusei huffs, reaching out and tugging at his friend’s hair. “Yeah, the same happened to me.” He pauses, a thought cropping up in his mind. “Do you think he got hurt?” he says, asking the thoughts they’ve both been holding in.

Koyuki’s hands tighten on his sleeves. “We would have known. He would have called us.” He glances at Ryuusei nervously. “Right?”

Ryuusei’s lips twist down. He hates it when Koyuki is upset; it’s like all the sunlight is sucked out of the world. “Yeah,” he agrees, because he knows Mahiru, even if he was jumpy and anxious and too secretive the last few weeks of school. “If he couldn’t, he would’ve convinced his uncle to call us.”

Koyuki runs a hand through his hair as they walk to their classroom. “He would have,” he says, and his smile is back, fond and exasperated and a little bit afraid, and Ryuusei’s heart thumps in his chest at the sight of it. He still isn’t exactly sure why he feels flustered when Koyuki smiles at him, why his face feels hot when Koyuki laughs, but he’s more than willing to set it aside for now, like he has been for the last year.

The bell rings just as they set their bags down, Koyuki chatting quietly about what his little sister did yesterday, and Ryuusei couldn’t look away if he tried. There’s a soft gleam in Koyuki’s eyes, something kind and that makes his stomach twist, and he doesn’t really get why.

“She runs into my room, all dressed up in her little kimono our grandmother got her the day before, and -”

The door slams open. Koyuki stops mid sentence, automatically turning to look at the noise, and his eyes widen. Ryuusei, through a great deal of willpower, manages to do the same, and Mahiru is standing there, his face red and his ever present cat on his shoulder. “Mahiru?” he says, feeling like a weight is being lifted from his chest.

Mahiru sends them a bright smile, laughing, and walks over, Kuro yawning and giving them the cursory glance. “Hey!”

Ryuusei starts to wave, but then Koyuki says, “Mahiru, what _happened?”_ and then he notices all the little scars scattered on Mahiru’s skin.

Ryuusei sits straighter in his seat, a fury burning low in his stomach at the sight of it. What had _happened?_ Is whatever caused those scars why Mahiru never answered their calls?

Mahiru blinks then looks down, twisting this way and that to see what they were talking about. He doesn’t see, and it makes Ryuusei clench his hands tight, until his fingernails dig into his palms, because if he doesn’t see that means he’s used to them. “What?”

Koyuki lets out a noise, hand darting forward to grab Mahiru’s arm. “The _scars,_ Mahiru,” he says, distressed, and Ryuusei scowls as Mahiru blinks at them. “Who gave you those _scars?”_

Mahiru looks down, eyes brightening in understanding. “Oh! Those. Yeah, they came from a lot of different people.

Koyuki looks ready to cry. Ryuusei growls, looking his friend over with a critical eye. “Who,” he pushes, keeping an eye on Koyuki, whose hold loosens on Mahiru’s arms. “Mahiru, what did you get involved in?”

There’s a white scar on his forehead, raised skin and another one on his neck. Mahiru doesn’t see anything wrong with this image. “Um,” he says intelligently, looking at Kuro, who merely stares at him with eyes that Ryuusei has always thought looked too smart. “I - nothing? I guess you could say it’s like a group.”

A group. Gang? Yakuza? Ryuusei’s heart sinks down to his feet. Is Mahiru being blackmailed into fighting? Was that why he was so skittish a few days before the festival? Did he run into a gang member after Ryuusei’s accident? Before?

Ryuusei’s dad is a police officer - he offered to take Mahiru in after his mom died, and Ryuusei knows things that he probably shouldn’t, stolen knowledge in the middle of the night, when his dad passed out on his desk. He knows things, and - what Mahiru is saying, it sounds like -

“What - kind of group?” Koyuki asks tentatively, shaken, and Ryuusei wants to wrap his arms around him and keep him close until he stops trembling. Koyuki being afraid is the worst thing in the world, in Ryuusei’s opinion, right above...whatever is happening to Mahiru, and his dad dying. His friends and his dad are all he has. He doesn’t know what he would do if any of them disappeared.

“Hm?” Mahiru puts a hand on his chin in thought. “It’s nothing bad, I suppose. We really only look out for each other. Although -” and here his smile grows sharp, grows dangerous, “ - we are good at defending ourselves. People really shouldn’t mess with us.”  
  
Ryuusei _really_ doesn’t want to know what that means. Well, no, he does, but he really hopes it doesn’t mean what he thinks it means. A small circle of black catches his eye, and his heart stops. A tattoo curls around Mahiru’s wrist, jagged edges reaching out like thorns and he doesn’t seem bothered by it. Ryuusei hasn’t seen that before, and it may be for a new gang or a new organization that Mahiru got tangled up in.

Mahiru shrugs, setting both his cat and bad down before sitting. “I’m not sure what you guys are talking about, but --”

His phone rings. Mahiru’s brows furrow even as he reaches into his pocket, answering it without even looking at the contact id. “Hello? Oh, Misono! What’s wrong?” A second. “Lily’s in shape again? Seriously? What about Hugh?” A garbled response that makes him frown. “So he hasn’t gotten better, huh. Tetsu’s going to be sad.”

Kuro mewls and rubs his head against Mahiru’s arm, eyes miserable. Mahiru rubs his thumb between his ears. “Yeah, I know.” Mahiru runs a hand through his hair. “It’s just - you saw how upset he was when…” Another moment. “So if Lily gets better, Hugh should too, right? Maybe it will just take longer, since it happened later than Lily.”

Mahiru pauses, then nods, eyes distant. “I'm hoping Tsurugi is doing okay. Touma really was wrong, with what he did to him.” He laughs, then, shaking his head. “Whatever. I'll see him soon, anyways. Bye, Misono!” A tiny voice said the same and then Mahiru hung up, scratching Kuro’s chin.

Ryuusei and Koyuki stare at him, shock coloring their faces. His phone call revealed more than he was most likely aware of. Lily, Hugh? Someone being hurt, and Mahiru being worried. Ryuusei swallows heavily. Dear kami, Mahiru really was involved in the yakuza. Probably high up, from the sound of it. Koyuki weakly reaches out, grasping Ryuusei’s hand. “Who was that?” he asks, voice small.

Mahiru wrinkles his nose at his cat who sends him a judgmental look before turning to them. “Hm? Oh, just Misono.” He shrugs his shoulders bonelessly, in a way that he never used to be able to. “He has a friend, Lily, who got hurt, and we weren't sure if he would recover.”

Koyuki smiles, and it's kind, if a bit strained. “That's good. Who's Hugh?”

“Hugh is someone who got hurt like Lily,” Mahiru says, nonchalant. “Tetsu adores him and was really hit by his injury.” He frowns, the scar by his lip stretching as he does. “Hopefully he'll be like Lily and get better.”

He leans back in his chair, Kuro purring as he pets his head. Ryuusei suddenly has a vision of Mahiru as a villain and grimaces. Mahiru is too damn sweet to be a villain. His heart is ten times too big and he really only wants to help people. So, it may be yakuza, but it also could very well be a vigilante group.

“Oh!” Mahiru twists in his seat to look at them. “Sorry I didn't answer any of your calls. A lot of things happened and for awhile I didn't have service.” He grimaces. “Sorry.”

Koyuki pats him on the head, looking, for all the world, that he was soulless. “It's fine,” he says. “At least you're here now, right?”

Mahiru laughs, and it's a rough sound, like he's not entirely sure he is here. “Right,” he agrees just as the teacher walks in.

Ryuusei shares a glance with Koyuki. Something is up, Ryuusei knows, and he won’t stop until he gets Mahiru out of whatever mess he’s gotten into this time. It’s what he _does,_ and nothing will change that. He pulls his friends out of problems and fix them up. That’s just want he does, what he’s always done.

Hopefully, Mahiru isn’t in a lot of trouble this time.

 

\--

 

Mahiru is on edge and he doesn't know why. It's not like he's actively in danger, and it's not like C3 will just come and attack. C3 is done for in this town, anyway - they destroyed their base and made the person so against vampires see that they are not all that bad. But his nerves are on fire and he's fidgeting in his seat, wanting to summon his lead, or _something._

He's not like this at home. At home, he's able to relax, to sink into his bed and close his eyes without feeling like he needs to wake up within a moment. At home, he can cook without wanting to look around for attackers. At home, he can rest against Kuro when he's tired and clean when he wants to. At the other's homes, it's much the same. But here, in school, the places that's meant to be _safe,_ he can't relax. Maybe it's because he's used to people attacking him out of nowhere. Maybe it's because Tsubaki is still out there, and as adept Mahiru has become at identifying subclass, he still makes mistakes. Everyone does.

His stomach twists. After being told by Tsuyuki-san that there were agents in his school, he never really felt safe. He always felt like someone was ready to put a gun to his head for being involved in the world he is, and that hasn't changed. C3 may be gone in this town for now, but with all the servamps in it, they'll doubtless send some people in.

Mahiru is bad at suspecting people, and being paranoid makes him spastic. It's why he prefers believing in the best of people, giving warmth and affection rather than suspicion. He's found that it works, most of the time, giving trust so freely. Mahiru's always wanted to help people, always wanted to smile and say _it's going to be alright and_  keep that promise.

But his skin crawls as he sits in his chair. He thinks that someone has a hand on their knife, but he doesn't know who and it's driving him spare. He knows when he's in danger. He just doesn't know who is threatening him until they're openly displaying it.

Kuro rubs his head against his stomach, soft fur and a purr that resonates through his ribs. Mahiru sucks in a breath he didn't know he needed, staring at the wall in front of him blankly. “Calm down,” Kuro says, quiet and slightly amused. “You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you.”

And Mahiru does know this. Knows this like he knows his blood is red, because Kuro has bled for him, grit his teeth and fought even when he shouldn't have. He knows this because, even dripping with black and undeniably freaking out himself, he still turned to Mahiru, to his _eve, and_  tried to reassure him, to tell him that everything will be fine. The little amount of scars Mahiru could have had compared to the ones he does have is proof enough that Kuro is viciously protective of him.

“I know,” he murmurs back, smiling as Kuro huffs. “I’m just nervous. To think I was excited to go to school again.” He laughs, and it’s self deprecating, if a bit humorless.

“Shirota!”

Mahiru jumps, Kuro immediately purring louder to help calm him down, and the teacher is standing in front of him, frowning heavily. “Yes?” Mahiru asks tersely, heart racing. His eyes are red, but he may be C3. Kuro bumps his paw against his hand and Mahiru forces himself to relax, to unclench his fists. Nobody would dare to go on the offensive when he’s in school, in front of the oblivious public. There’s a reason C3 tries and mostly succeeds in keeping the servamps from them. Too much pandemonium would come about from it. There’s a reason it’s not common knowledge, after all.

“Why do you have a cat?” his teacher - what was his name again - snaps. Mahiru blinks. Why does he have Kuro? He always has him with him, always has him at his side. Why would this be any different -

Oh. Yeah. He’s technically not supposed to have pets here.

“Oh, um.” He rubs the back of his head, a little embarrassed he forgot the rule. “I - kinda always have him with me. So I just took him with me.”

“You are not allowed to have pets,” his teacher hisses. “Some students may be *allergic.”*

Mahiru frowns, standing with Kuro climbing to his shoulder. “Sir,” he says respectfully, “there is no need to be rude.” And there in’t. Mahiru would leave the room, put Kuro in his bag, then come back in. Simple as that. There's no need for him to acting that way.

“Shirota, I am not being rude,” his teacher says, obviously controlling his temper.

“You are,” Mahiru insists, grabbing his back and swinging it on his shoulder. “And I’m afraid that it’s not very professional.”

Kuro really has rubbed off on him, he reflects, watching as his teacher’s face get progressively more red. He never used to sass his teachers. Kuro is bitingly sarcastic, as salty as the Dead Sea, and spending all of his time with him, really made him like that sometimes. He can’t say he regrets it.

“Shirota, to the office. You are going to see the principal.”

Oh dear. That’s not a good thing. He may be becoming a delinquent. Mahiru rolls his eyes at his thoughts and nods slightly, heading towards the door. He might as well be a delinquent, he and Kuro destroyed a building and attacked people.

“Yes, sensei,” he replies, and shuts the door behind him.

Kuro looks at him through half lidded eyes. “That went well,” he says, slightly sarcastic as he jumps off his shoulder. Two feet hit the floor instead four cat paws, and Kuro leans against his eve with an air of boredom around him.

“Thanks,” Mahiru says. “I know it went well.”

“That was sarcasm, Mahiru.”

“I’m well aware,” Mahiru replies as he meanders down the hallway to the principal office. “I just chose to ignore it.”

Kuro sighs explosively, dropping his chin on Mahiru’s shoulder. “Why are we even here?”

“Because,” Mahiru says as they make a turn, “I need to learn. You, on the other hand, are stuck with me.”

Kuro makes a face, poofing into a cat as they reach the office. “You’re so troublesome,” he mutters. “Seriously, such a pain.”

“You love me anyways,” Mahiru counters.

“I do,” Kuro says, slightly defeated. “I do, unfortunately.”

 

\--

 

The word spreads fast. Housewife Mahiru got sent to the office, people say.. He reprimanded a teacher for being less than professional. He has scars.

“I saw him running around in the summer,” a girl whispers to her friend. “He looked angry.”  
  
“I saw him too,” her friend agrees. “He was with a man with blue hair. The man looked dangerous, why is Mahiru with him?”

“I don’t know. Did you see the famous pianist? Why was he with Mahiru?”

“I’m not sure.”

Koyuki leans against the wall, yawning politely into his palm. Mahiru has been acting odd, he admits, but he doubts he was with the famous pianist that recently came to Japan. Ryuusei sighs beside him, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Mahiru isn’t someone to hang out with someone famous,” he says, sounding irritated. Koyuki spares him a glance. Ryuusei looks attractive, as he usually does, and Koyuki feels his cheeks warm at the thought. He moves his gaze to the window, trying not to squirm.

He hopes that Ryuusei will return his feelings, but, well, there’s a very small chance of that happening. His friend has never displayed an interest in guys, never had his eyes linger on others. And he’s certainly never looked at Koyuki the way Koyuki wishes he would.

He shakes his head. “Yeah,” he says, boxing up those thoughts. “I don’t even know how he would meet him.”

“Exactly.” Ryuusei smiles at him, a mere upturn of the lips, but Koyuki thinks his heart is going to burst out of his chest at the sight of it. “I doubt Mahiru could go to one of his shows. They’re just making things up. Trying to come up with some absurd reason for Mahiru to change so abruptly.”

“Do you have any ideas to why?” Koyuki asks, and immediately closes his mouth, flushing red. He really needs to learn to control his mind to mouth function.

Ryuusei shifts in place, like he’s nervous, and if he didn’t already have Koyuki’s full attention then that would have captured it. Ryuusei doesn’t do nervous. He says it’s a waste of energy.

“Well,” he starts, then stops, clearing his throat. “I kind of thought that he joined a gang. Or at least untinentially founded one.”

Koyuki stares at him for a full minute, watching the way his friend’s face goes steadily more scarlet, then starts to laugh softly. “What are the odds,” he says, mind wandering, “that we would think the same thing?”

“High, I would think.” Ryuusei grins, bright enough to outshine the sun. “We’ve known each other for years now.”

Koyuki nods, hair swishing around his ears. “We have,” he says, and closes his eyes until the bell rings for the next class. Ryuusei laughs by him, clearly recognizing his thinking pose. Koyuki’s lips lift into a smile. Ryuusei has such a beautiful laugh. It rings like bells in his ears, like a symphony, and Koyuki has loved it since he was five and Ryuusei stuck out his hand, calling him Ko-kun.

He leans against Ryuusei, his first friend, and lets his rambling carry him far away form his worries.

 

\--

 

The principal doesn’t give him detention, luckily, although he gets off with a warning. Mahiru breathes out quietly, rubbing his wrist. Kuro blinks at him from where he's sitting by the wall, tails flaring out around him. “You okay?”

Mahiru gives him a strained smile. Kuro grimaces back. “That bad?”

Mahiru sits down beside him, resting his head on Kuro’s shoulder. “Not really,” he admits “I only got off with probation since I've seen such a good student in the past. If I get in trouble again, _then_  I'll be in trouble.” He turns his head into Kuro's jacket, breaking in ramen and smoke. “It's just frustrating. If people thought simply, then we wouldn't have these many problems.”

Kuro runs his hand through his eve's hair, leaning back until his head hits the wall. “If people thought simply, then I probably wouldn't exist.” Mahiru screws up his face at the thought. He wouldn’t want to live in a world where Kuro doesn’t live in his home, complaining and eating and being there. “My Creator said it took a lot of thought and complicated solutions to make me. It took even more thought to make the others because everybody is different.” His lips curl into a wry smile. “So maybe it's good that people don't think simply. Besides, I don't think the world can handle more than one of you.”

Mahiru laughs. “Shut up, you and your backhanded compliments.”

“I can never said it outright, can I,” Kuro muses, something warm in his tone Mahiru grins into the blue fabric, because when he first met Kuro, that warmth would be there. Kuro wouldn't leave himself vulnerable to emotional weakness. Real progress has been made with that aspect.

“You can't,” he replies, voice muffled and a touch giddy. “You just can't do it. It's a major failing on your part, truly.” And before, he wouldn't have done this, been so relaxed that he would have said something like that. They've both made progress.

Kuro chuckles, warm and rumbling, and stands, dragging Mahiru to his feet. “You know me. Always running away from anything positive.”

Mahiru laughs at that. “True, true.” He rests his weight against Kuro, lets him wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him close. “Aren’t we going to meet Licht later?”

Kuro sighs, already sounding tired at the mere mention of his name. “Yeah. Hyde wants to see us, for whatever reason.”

“He’s a clingy person,” Mahiru says fondly as the bell rings. “Very clingy. It’s adorable.”

“It’s annoying, that’s what it is,” Kuro grunts, wrinkling his nose. “I’m remembering why I avoided my siblings for years.”

“You love them,” Mahiru sings, pressing his lips to Kuro’s cheek. “I need to get back to class, so -”

Kuro groans, turning into a cat and crawling inside Mahiru;s bag. “I hate school,” he says grumpily. “I hate that I have to stay in here.”

“Well, if it was up to me,” Mahiru says dryly, “you would be in my lap in class, but I don’t have the same teacher as last year, so.”

Kuro sticks his tongue out, curling up into a ball, and says no more. Mahiru smilles, recognizing the win as it is, and slips his arms under the straps, pulling the bag up and letting it drop on his back. Kuro makes a noise, but Mahiru has learned how to differentiate between his hurt sounds and the sounds he makes when he’s surprised, and that was the latter.

“You’ll be fine,” he says, and starts back to his classroom.

(They didn’t see it, but two of their classmates saw Mahiru kiss Kuro’s cheek, and ran off, shocked and whispering, already coming up with rumors and theories.)

 

\--

 

Lunch rolls around, chatter filling the halls, and Ryuusei is sticking close to Mahiru, one hand wrapped around his wrist as he drags him to the cafeteria to get food. Koyuki brought food from home, so he’s staying in the classroom, but Ryuusei didn’t have time to do it, so he’s taking Mahiru with him to make sure he doesn’t run off.

“You do know that I brought lunch, right?” Mahiru says, looking amused. Ryuusei rolls his eyes, adjusting his headband. Yes, he knew that, but Koyuki would be caught up in getting all the gossip involving Mahiru to actually make sure he doesn’t leave. So Ryuusei is taking Mahiru with him.

“I do,” he responds with great dignity. “But I haven't seen you at all this summer, and I missed you.”

He can _feel_ Mahiru’s guilt, but he steadies his resolve. A guilty Mahiru is a Mahiru who is easier to wrangle answers out of.

“Sorry,” Mahiru says, sheepish, and his hand flexes, as if he’s trying to escape Ryuusei’s grip. “Some things happened, and I wasn’t able to call you.”

Ryuusei’s heart sinks. Some things happened - that sounds like a war, like negotiations broke down, and Mahiru didn’t want to get them involved. His mouth is suddenly dry. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing. I - uh. I met a pianist,” Mahiru says weakly. “He’s from overseas, and he’s strong. Violent, too.”

A pianist? “Like that teenage pianist? What was his name...Light?”

“Licht,” Mahiru corrects, almost on automatic. “His name is long and weird, but he’s okay. I guess. Wears a white backpack with wings on it.”

“Wings?” Ryuusei says incredulously, stopping in place. “Why wings?”

Mahiru’s smile turns wry and he strikes a pose. “Because he’s an _angel,”_ he says, in a tone Ryuusei has never heard from him before. He drops his arms, grimacing. “He’s kinda odd, but I like him.”

“If you like him, then he must be good,” Ryuusei says sarcastically. Mahiru likes nearly everyone. And - “Violent?”

“Yep,” Mahiru says, popping the p. “He has a friend, Hyde, and they fight _all the time.”_ He sighs. “I’ve had to break up so many fights. They’re best friends, though. They’ve destroyed a room.”

“Fights?” Ryuusei cannot believe his ears. “Mahiru, who have been you been hanging out with?”

Mahiru grins brightly, clapping Ryuusei on the shoulder and starting to walk again. “The best kinds of people!” he says cheerily over his shoulder, and Ryuusei has to scramble to catch up to him.

“Whatever you say,” he says, and tries not to contemplate the fact that it seems like a famous pianist is now involved in the yakuza. That _Mahiru_ is involved in the yakuza. “Hey, did you ever learn who that kid with the purple hair was?”

“Hm? Misono?” Mahiru blinks. “Yeah, he’s Misono Alicein. Really rich, but he cares a lot.” His lips lift into a smile. “He has a lot of kids living with him. Still not good with kids, not really.”

“He seemed kinda snooty,” Ryuusei recalls as they get into line. “Really demanding.”

Mahiru laughs. “He’s really awkward. Like, really awkward. Plus he was in a hurry, so.”

Ryuusei does and does not want to know what he means by that. Did Misono drag Mahiru into the life he’s embroiled in? Did he show up because Mahiru accidentally found something out? What had happened to Mahiru over break?

Ryuusei has always been the one to protect them. He’s always been the one to hit first, to punch someone’s face if they hurt one of his friends. He’s always been the one with the sharp tongue, the wit. That’s his role - he _protects._ He shields, he banishes away the troubles. Ryuusei is the one who’s always done that. And now -

And now he can’t do that. He doesn’t know what Mahiru is involved in, doesn’t know what he can do. He doesn’t have the information he needs, and he’s afraid that he never will. Mahiru is good at keeping secrets when he feels that it’s for the best, good at staying quiet. Ryuusei wants to help, to drag Mahiru behind him and put his fists up, baring his teeth at the threat, because that’s what he _does._

When they were seven and Mahiru had lost his mom, some kids tried to make fun of him. They had tried to bring him down right when he was starting to pick himself back up, and Ryuusei had put Mahiru with Koyuki, told them to stay there, and marched off.

He’d ended up breaking a kid’s nose and causing another to lose his teeth.

Ryuusei knows how to fight. Mahiru doesn’t. And it scares him, makes his throat close up with panic when he thinks that Mahiru is neck deep in violence when he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He swallows thickly, paying for his lunch absently. Mahiru is one of his best friends, his closest friend. He doesn’t know what to do, and Ryuusei _hates_ that he doesn’t. His dad taught him to never tuck his thumb into his fist. He never taught him how to handle this, and he doesn’t want to go to him.

Mahiru is the one Ryuusei went to when he realized he liked boys too. He’s the one Ryuusei goes to when he wants to learn how to make some kind of food. He’s the one Ryuusei goes to when he has a realization, an epiphany, and he thought it was the same. It still could be, for all he knows. Mahiru could be staying silent to make sure he’s safe, but -

But Ryuusei has always been making sure Mahiru is safe. He doesn’t want Mahiru to get hurt trying to do the same.

“Ryuusei?” Mahiru shakes his shoulder. “You okay?”

 _No,_ Ryuusei wants to say. _No, I’m not. I don’t know what you’re involved in, what happened to you while you were gone. I don’t know how to protect you._

“Yeah,” he says instead. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s hurry, Koyuki is waiting.”

Mahiru’s expression shades towards bemused. “Have you figured out that you have a crush on him yet?”

Ryuusei chokes on his spit, thoughts derailing from what they were to a single, stretching scream. He almost drops his lunch as he nearly trips over his own feet. _“What?”_ He coughs out, pounding at his chest.

Mahiru grins, impish, and pats his head. “Oh, so you haven’t?” he asks innocently, and Ryuusei can feel his face burning. “Ryuusei, it’s the most obvious thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Mahiru!’

“What? It’s the truth!” Mahiru shrugs, a little helpless in the face of Ryuusei’s embarrassment. “You’ve just been willfully ignoring it.”

Ryuusei is going to _die,_ and it’s not even going to be be because of stress caused by Mahiru. His death is still going to be caused by Mahiru, but instead it will be from _mortification._

“Mahiru,” he says, and wishes that he could bury his face in his palms. “Mahiru, please stop.”

Mahiru shrugs, reaching into his pat and petting his cat, which Ryuusei _knows he still has._ “Well, you’re too stubborn to figure it out for yourself,” he says with an easy confidence that he didn’t used to have. “For the past year, you’ve been trying to say that you liked Koyuki as a friend, and yet -”

“And yet I spent months ranting about him to you over the phone,” Ryuusei finishes, a little horrified at his own obliviousness. “I _do_ like him, don’t I?”

“You do.” Mahiru pats him on the shoulder. seemingly sympathetic. When Ryuusei glances at him, he does look empathetic. Maybe someone’s told him that he’s had a crush on someone? “I get it.” So he has been told this.

“I just -” Ryuusei sets down his food just so he can flail his hands. “How did I not _notice?”_

“How did I not notice I was in love with my roommate?” Mahiru asks, then flushes himself. “I mean -”

“What roommate?” Ryuusei interrupts, taking swift advantage of the change in subject. “You never told me you have a roommate.”

Mahiru opens his mouth, closes it, and starts walking down the hallway. “I - why don’t we get back to the classroom?” he suggests without turning around, the tips of his ears red. Ryuusei picks up his lunch and hurries after him, determined not to let him escape.

“No,” he says, gleeful at the slip. This is the moment he’s been waiting for, the mistake he could rip open and get more information about what, exactly, happened to Mahiru. That and ignore his own revelation. “Who is your roommate?”

“Kuro!” Mahiru blurts as he turns the corner.

“Kuro is your cat!” Ryuusei retorts. “Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not!”

Sad part is, Mahiru is an _really_ bad liar, so Ryuusei knows he isn’t lying to him. So either he gained a roommate that he named the cat after, or -

Ugh. Ryuusei shudders. Let’s just go with the other option, he decides as they slow to a stop in front of their classroom door. Koyuki opens it, smiling at Ryuusei kindly before moving his gaze over to Mahiru.

“Mahiru!” he exclaims softly, warm brown eyes crinkling as he grins. “Nice to see that you have lunch!”

Mahiru laughs, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, Ryuusei dragged me to the cafeteria.”

“Well, you’d better hurry if you want to eat,” Koyuki says, stepping back and letting them in. Mahiru’s scars on his knuckles become more prominent as he grips his bento tight. Mahiru _worries_ Ryuusei more than anything, and not even the realisation that he likes Koyuki…more than a friend is enough to derail him from it.

Koyuki lays a hand his shoulder as he comes up behind him. “Is he okay?” he asks, hushed, and Ryuusei nods, heart pounding at just how close Koyuki is.  “Did you find out what was happening?”

Ryuusei shakes his head. “No,” he whispers back. “I didn’t. But apparently he’s in love with someone.”

Koyuki gasps. “What?”

“Yeah,” Ryuusei says, a shit eating grin growing. “I think he named his cat after him. His name is Kuro.”

Koyuki laughs at that, loud and ringing, and everyone looks over at them as he presses his palm against his mouth. “What a dork,” he giggles, a little weak against the silliness. “Who names their cat after their crush?”

“You named your cat after me,” Ryuusei retorts. “What was it? Sei-chan?”

Koyuki presses his lips together, tugging on his sleeves in slight embarrassment. “Ryuu-chan,” he says, a slight whine in his voice. “Ryuu-chan, don’t speak of Sei-chan like that. You love her.”

“I do,” Ryuusei says, slightly defeated. He loves that stupid cat. She’s fat and orange with a short tail. They found her one afternoon, hidden under a car, and Koyuki had coaxed her out. Mahiru had wanted to name her Ringo, because she was fat like an apple, but Koyuki had called her Sei-chan and that was that. Now, years later, Sei-chan has some gray hairs and is still grumpy as ever, but Koyuki utterly _adores_ her.

“Exactly,” Koyuki says smugly, like the cat that had gotten the cream. “I love her, like I love you.”

Ryuusei’s heart skips a beat and his knees weaken. Mahiru muffles a laugh into his cat’s fur from a few feet away. “I -”

Koyuki’s face flames, and he makes a noise that vaguely reminds Ryuusei vaguely of a dying bird, turns on his heel, and runs out of the classroom. Ryuusei stares after him, arms tense as he sets his lunch down.

“Holy fuck,” he breathes. Mahiru bursts out laughing, Kuro meowing right along with it.  “Please be quiet!”

“Never!” Mahiru snickers. “Ryuusei, he basically confessed to you.”

And he _did_. Koyuki said he loved him, and Ryuusei needs to sit down. He needs to sit down and think. He isn’t good with emotions - they aren’t his thing. They’re confusing and all tangled up with one another, and Ryuusei hates them. Koyuki makes them make sense though. When Ryuusei is getting frustrated because he doesn’t know what he’s feeling, Koyuki asks him how he’s feeling and they just - talk it out. Mahiru, try as he may, has never been able to do that. Only Koyuki. Not even his dad has been able to do that. Koyuki is the only one who’s been able to do that.

He swallows thickly. Koyuki was his first friend, really. Ryuusei was too harsh for the other kids, too frank and sharp, and Koyuki weathered it, made it softer until other kids could stand it. He loves Koyuki, loves him wholeheartedly and with a passion that scares him sometimes. He thought that it was for a friend, but it’s _not._ He fell in love when he was six, eight, ten, and fifteen, when Koyuki smiled at him and called him Ryuu-chan.

He’s never had a crush. It’s odd now, that he realizes it. Koyuki has. He’s liked girls with long blonde hair and boys with blue eyes, and he’s rambled about them on and on for _hours_ to Ryuusei, but he always said they weren’t just right, when Ryuusei asked why he stopped liking them.

It’s always been Koyuki, he thinks, and buries his face in his arms. It’s always been Koyuki, and he doesn’t know why he never realized it before. He doesn’t know why he never connected the sudden flares of jealousy that came up when Koyuki talked about his crushes. Well - no, he does. Emotions are tricky for him. They’re almost always in his torso, and Ryuusei doesn’t know how to differentiate one from the others. Koyuki, though -

Koyuki can take one look at him, teeth clenched and ready to fight, and know exactly what he’s feeling.

Ryuusei smiles, a little hopeless in the face of that. Koyuki is everything to him - Mahiru and his dad notwithstanding. At least he knows what this mess of emotions in him mean. At least he knows that much.

Mahiru pokes his shoulder. “You okay? Aren't you going to go after him?”

Ryuusei props his head up, dislodging his hairband. It clatters to his desk and his hair falls in his eyes as he shrugs. He blows it out of his face with a huff. This is why he wears a headband. “I don’t know,” he says honestly. He doesn’t know what he would say. He doesn’t know what he would do.

Mahiru scowls, reaching out and messing with his hair, making it semi presentable. “You should,” he says fiercely. “Look, I haven’t seem two more in love my entire life. You two are so _good_ for each other. Koyuki calms you down and you make him shine that much more. You need to go and _talk to him_ before you lose him.”

Ryuusei looks him, at his scars and the weary glint in his eyes and asks, “I’m guessing you have experience?”

Mahiru grins crookedly. “You could say that,” he says, and - it’s not exactly an agreement, but Ryuusei is well aware that it’s pretty much an agreement. “Now go get your man.” He pulls Ryuusei to his feet, brushing off his jacket.

“He’s not my man,” Ryuusei says, a little redundantly, and Mahiru rolls his eyes.

“Not _yet,”_ he corrects, and pushes Ryuusei out of the classroom. “Don’t come back until you’ve kissed.”

Ryuusei ears burn, but when he twists to tell Mahiru off for saying that, the door is already shut, and Mahiru is looking at him sternly from inside. “Of course,” he mutters under his breath, and straightens, running a hand through his hair. “Now if I was Koyuki,” he says to himself, “where would I go?”

The roof, obviously. Koyuki loves feeling the sun on his face and the wind in his hair - it helps him relax, he’s told a bemused Ryuusei a million times. So Ryuusei starts down the hall for the roof, hands in his pockets and thinking over what he’s going to say, what he’s going to _do._ Koyuki is excellent at reading in between the lines for Ryuusei, knows that in his Ryuusei, actions speak louder than words.

Koyuki says what he thinks, and he means it with his entire heart. Ryuusei wraps his words up in layers of snark, dryness, and sarcasm. It took Mahiru a few months to know what he meant, but it took Koyuki only a day. Dad knows because he raised him. That’s it. Dad isn’t the type of person Ryuusei would normally talk to, but Ryuusei loves him anyways.

But - Koyuki will know what he means even if he screws up, because Koyuki knows him that well. He’ll be able to take what Ryuusei stutters out and make sense of it.

Ryuusei takes two steps at a time when he reaches the stairs for the roof, bolstered by his own unconscious reassurances, and opens the door to the roof. Koyuki is there, sitting against the railing with his knees to his chest and his shoulders jerking, one hand wrapped around his other wrist as he holds his legs tight. His hair is flying around his ears and his too large sweater is hanging limply at his fingers. Ryuusei smiles, a bit hopeless, and closes the door behind him.

Heading over to his - friend, crush, whatever Koyuki is to him, it’s not important at the moment - and sitting down, Ryuusei tries to think of something to say. He isn’t good with his words, not like Mahiru. He’s more like Sakuya, the way he twisted his words around until nobody, not even him, knew the truth.

Koyuki takes a shuddering breath. “I understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore,” he says, and his voice trembles.

Ryuusei frowns, pulling one leg up and letting the other remain flat. “Why would I want that?” he asks, bewildered, and Koyuki raises his head, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve.

“Because I just confessed my love for you in front of the entire class?” he says. “I don’t even know if you like people of the same gender, Ryuusei, and I just -”

Ryuusei. Koyuki hasn’t called him Ryuusei in years. Only when they’re fighting, rare as that is.

Ryuusei grabs Koyuki’s hand, laces their fingers together, and sits back against the railing. “I do,” he says quietly, Koyuki looking up at the cloudy sky. It might rain soon. “I mean, I do like guys. Girls too. I just - never really had a reason to look.”

Koyuki smiles weakly, pulling on his hair gently - a nervous tick he developed when his hair started to grow, and one he hasn’t been able to get rid of since. “Still,” he says. “I just said that and _ran._ Ryuusei, I’ve been in love with you for years, and I guess it’s time to say it. I just never meant for it to be in front of the whole class.”

Ryuusei shrugs, letting his head call on Koyuki’s shoulder. “You know I never really cared about the rumors.”

Koyuki laughs, and it sounds rough. “You never have,” he agrees. “You don’t see the point in gossip.”

“Damn right I don’t,” Ryuusei says, chuckling. “It makes no sense and only hurts the people involved. You, on the other hand -” he pokes Koyuki’s ribs, causing him to giggle and turn to get away - “ _love_ the drama as long as you aren’t involved.”

“I do, I do,” Koyuki admits, a little sheepish, but the tears are gone, and for that Ryuusei is grateful. He hates it when Koyuki is upset. “But I’m involved now.

“You are,” Ryuusei says mildly, and tightens his grip he has on Koyuki’s hand. “But it doesn’t have to be drama, you know.”

“I rather think it does,” Koyuki replies, still not looking him in the eyes. Ryuusei makes an irritated sound in the back of his throat and grabs Koyuki’s chin, forcing him to face him. “Ryuu-chan, what -”

Ryuusei kisses him. It’s impulsive, a split second decision, but Koyuki’s lips are soft beneath his, and there’s something easing in his chest, so he doesn’t regret doing it. He doesn’t think he ever will, because this has been building for more than almost a decade, and -

Ryuusei pulls away just enough so that their noses are touching. Koyuki’s face is red, his eyes wide, and there’s red on his cheeks and nose. “I,” he begins, “like you too. I’ve liked you for a while now, and I only realized it today. I’m sorry about that.”

Koyuki gently takes his hand away from his chin, tracing his lips with his fingertips. “It’s okay,” he squeaks, but he’s still holding Ryuusei’s hand, so -

Ryuusei smiles. “I think I love you.”

Koyuki flushes, opens his mouth to reply, and -

“How _sweet,”_ comes a voice, and they both jerk away, staring up at the person sitting on the air conditioner unit. His long pink hair is flowing to the right, and his smile is sharp. “And to think, _I_ thought that you’d died.” He pouts, stands, and spins his top hat in his hands.

Ryuusei knows that man. He shows up in his dreams, laughing and joking until he sinks his teeth into - into -

His neck! Ryuusei’s hand flies to his throat, swallowing hard, and the man’s expression shades towards delighted. 

“So you _do_ remember me!"

“Ryuu-chan,” Koyuki whispers, looking lost. Ryuusei jumps to his feet in front of him. “Ryuu-chan, who is he?”

“Remember that car accident?” Ryuusei glances over his shoulder, and Koyuki nods. “It wasn’t an accident.”

The man laughs, spinning on one foot as he sticks his tongue out. “I tore his throat out!” he cheers, and bares his teeth. “It seems that I didn’t finish the job.”

Koyuki shoves himself to his feet, getting in in front of Ryuusei with a hard glint in his eyes. “I’m not going to let you do that,” he says, and there’s not a single tremor in his voice.

The man cackles, taking out a sword from his hat. He is a magician, Ryuusei recalls, and stiffens, grabbing Koyuki’s wrist. “Koyuki, I need you to run.”

“Ryuusei,” Koyuki replies, and - it’s not nice, not kind. It’s firm and unyielding, and Ryuusei finds himself letting go without even realizing it. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The man snorts. “So sentimental,” he says, and jumps down, still grinning. “Looks like I’m going to taste two different types of blood.”

Rain starts to pour down, and Ryuusei is frozen in place as the man stalks forward, his eyes wild. Koyuki slides a foot in front of him, fists up, and just as the man starts to swing, the door to the roof slams open.

“Kuro!” Mahiru shouts as the sword tip grazes Koyuki’s cheek, and then there’s a man between them and the magician, his jacket tails flaring.

“You know,” he snarls, “you’re so troublesome I could just _die.”_ He shoves the man back just as Mahiru slides around, blocking the sword with a spear. He grunts, feet sliding towards the door, but he pushes and the man is sent flying

“Belkia!” Mahiru roars, and his eyes are on fire, he’s wielding his weapon like an expert, and he has never been more of a stranger in Ryuusei’s eyes. “Leave them _alone!”_

Belkia sticks his tongue out, summoning more swords. Mahiru’s eyes narrow. “Kuro, stay with them. I’ll take care of him.”

The man - Kuro? - nods, the claws around his hands subsiding into inky darkness. Ryuusei can only watch in stunned silence as Mahiru proceeds to kick Belkia’s _ass._

 

\--

 

Mahiru is still _fuming_ that Belkia dared to attack his school, attack his _friends_ ten minutes later _._ He clenches his fists, grinds his teeth together, and marches down the hallway, Kuro beside him placidly and his friend following in confusion.

Mahru wants to _scream._ Anger is an exhausting emotion to have, and he doesn’t usually have it. But in times like this -

Well. He can’t be blamed for getting furious.

“Uh, Mahiru?” Koyuki says, a little timid. He’s holding Ryuusei’s hand, as he has been since Mahiru turned around from beating Belkia back into a retreat, and normally Mahiru would find it endearing. He still does. They finally got together. “Do you know where we’re going?”

“No,” Mahiru replies honestly. Truth be told, he’s just been marching in an attempt to cool his head down. Kuro sighs, grabs his elbow, and pulls him into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind Ryuusei and Koyuki right after they enter. He comes over and sits next to Mahiru at a desk, and Mahiru automatically leans against him.

“Mahiru, what the fuck is going on?” Ryuusei snaps, and it’s harsh. Mahiru winces even though he knows Ryuusei probably didn’t mean to say it that way.

“I’m involved with the supernatural,” he says, and watches as the disbelief blooms on their faces. “No, I really am. I’m the eve to a servamp - a servant vampire. Kuro can turn into a cat, and he represents the sin of sloth. He’s the strongest servamp. I can...kinda control him. I don’t like to, though.”

“I’m sorry, _what?”_

This...will take longer than Mahiru thought it would. “Okay, so it started last school year...”

 

\--

 

“And it all ends here, today, with Tsubaki still uncaught and Hugh still without his memories,” Mahiru finishes, more than a little tired after that long, _long_ explanation. Kuro hums, rubbing his arm.

They all somehow ended up sitting on the floor, Mahiru cuddled up close to Kuro’s side and Koyuki to Ryuusei’s. The school day has technically ended, but there’s still clubs going on, so.

“This is _insane,”_ Koyuki says with no small amount of glee.  “You have a _weapon?_ And have fought _actual psychopaths?”_

“Yep.” Mahiru grins. “That was the more frightening of them. You see these scars?” he pulls up his sleeve and shows them his arm. “They were from Touma. He was...scary.”

Kuro makes a sound of agreement, pulling him closer. "Thankfully he’s gone,” he says, voice low. “Freyja killed him.”

“Dead?” Ryuusei turns white. “Mahiru!”

“Hey, I was unconscious at the time,” Mahiru defends, holding his hands up. “I was in Tsurugi’s mind. I didn’t know what was happening!” He pauses. “Besides, he’s not dead. In custody, yes. Dead, no.”

Ryuusei makes a face at him, and Mahiru makes one right back. “Whatever,” he huffs, running a hand through Koyuki’s hair, and smiling a small smile. “So you didn’t join a gang?”

“Nope!” Mahiru grins. “I’m just part of a different world than that!”

Ryuusei hangs his head. “Okay, why don’t we go over to your house, and you can call your friends over and we can meet them.”

Mahiru nods as Kuro tells them, “Big mistake. Never want my siblings under one roof. Ever. You are making a mistake.”

“Kuro, stop being such a downer,” Mahiru says cheerfully, dragging him outside The sun’s shining, so he turns into a cat. Without missing a beat, Mahiru puts him on his shoulder. “Your siblings are wonderful people -”

“Isn’t Hyde technically a serial killer?” Koyuki asks.

“Mostly good people,” Mahiru amends without missing a beat. “Don’t go starting rumors about them!”

“It’s not rumors if they’re true,” Kuro says flatly. “One time Hugh took Jeje’s hood when we were younger, saying that it was a fashion travesty, changed it, gave it back it him, and Jeje nearly killed him.”

“I thought you were immortal.”

“I said nearly,” Kuro reminds. “Hugh’s always been a fanatic about fashion. It’s in his blood. He was the prince of a well respected kingdom before Creator found him. At least I think he was. I don’t know, that may be Lily.”

“You’re so useless,” Mahiru says fondly, ignoring his friend’s reactions as he presses his lips to Kuro’s nose. “Such a NEET vampire.”

Kuro purrs, rubbing his head at Mahiru’s cheek. “But you love me.”

“I do,” Mahiru says, sighing as though he’s being dejected. “I really do. How unfortunate.”

“Yes, how unfortunate,” Kuro agrees mildly. “I really hope that you have another lined up.”

“Oh I do,” Mahiru reassures him. “You don’t have any need to worry.”

Ryuusei gapes at them. “They’re so domestic,” he whisper-shouts to Koyuki, who merely nods with stars in his eyes.

“They are,” he says, and doesn’t say anything more as he tangles their fingers together. Ryuusei goes red and silent.

Mahiru rolls his eyes, smiling. It’s nice that his friend know this side of him, knows just why he has the scars and acts differently now, he must admit, and as Kuro purrs in his ear and his phone rings in his hand with Misono’s number on the screen, he thinks that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this!!!
> 
> Comments are always loved and brighten up my day and are saved in my Gmail.
> 
> Also! Here's my [Tumblr.](http://nikescaret.tumblr.com) Come visit and chat with me if you want!


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